12/13/07 NOTE: Added a bit about increasing the crown height. Will add it to the pdf tonight.
11/21/07 NOTE: This post is about the bulky weight hat. There is also a worsted weight version with an ear warmer band.
This all started because I wanted a hat. Someone else had already made a hat called the Irish Walking Hat that looks very different but also goes with the scarf but I just don’t like that style. I need something with a little more shape built into it. Here is the finished product.
Sorry the pictures are rather craptastic but you get the idea. There is a picture of another, unlined one *here*
This is what I did based on the yarn I was using for the scarf and the size of my head*
DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN IN PDF FORM
Irish Hiking Hat – Bulky Version with Optional Fleece Lining
Materials:
- Around 100 yards of bulky yarn. The one picture here is in Wool-Ease Chunky in Willow. The unlined one is also in Wool-Ease Chunky in Gray.
- Sz 8 or 9 needles (swatch and see what you like best given your yarn. I was getting 3 stitches per inch), including either circulars or dpns for the crown. I knit the band going back and forth on circs or you could use straights.
Directions: Cast on 16 stitches
- p3, k2, p6, k2, p3, turn
- k3, p2, k6, p2, k3, turn
- rep row 1
- rep row 2
- rep row 1
- rep row 2
- rep row 1
- k3, p2, work front cable, p2, k3
- Repeat above until it goes around your head (this is the same cable pattern from the scarf – just one cable wide instead of 3)
Cast off and seam the two ends together.
Pick up one stitch per row of knitting all around one side of the band with your circular needle. Count the number of stitches and divide by 4.
At this point you may want to do some math. Some of the lovely people who have knit this report that it may be a bit shallow. To determine whether or not you want to do some rounds of plain stockinette or work one decrease round/one plain round until you start the second set of decreases do the following:
- Put the band around your head where you want it and measure your head from the top of the band to where you want the hat to flatten out.
- Check your rows/inch (or rows/cm) gauge.
- Calculate how many rows it will take you to get to that point.
- If if is MORE than 2/3 of the number of stitches between your markers then you may want to think about adding some height to the hat.
- (Example: I have 25 stitches between markers. The distance from the top of the band to where I want the top of the hat is 3.5 inches. I have a gauge of 5 rows per inch that means it will take around 18 rows to get to where I want to start the second set of decreases. 15 is really close to 2/3 (60% to be precise). If I want to leave some room for hair or just like a slightly taller hat I’ll do 2-3 of rounds of stockinette before starting the decreases.)
Now that you have either done the math or just decided to wing in and either do a couple rounds of stockinette or not, K2tog, *k 1/4 of your stitches, k2tog* until you are back where you began. Continue to knit around the circle decreasing evenly at the four points. Make sure when you k2tog that the second stitch of the k2tog is the decrease from the row before. You will see the decreases start to form a spiral pattern. Continue until the hat is as tall as you would like it to be plus a round or two if you are going to line it (I did about 12 rounds – should have done 14).
To close the top flatly, I added another decrease halfway between each of the existing ones and kept going round until there were only 4 stitches left. I switched over to the dpns when I added the second set of decreases because the circular was getting awkward. Cut yarn and sew the last 4 stitches together and pull through to the wrong side.
Lining: (NOTE: if you don’t want to line it, instead of doing stockinette on both sides of the cable band, do one side k3 and one side in moss stitch like the edges of the scarf. You can see that on the unlined one) Measure the circumference and height of your hat. Cut a piece of fleece or other warm, soft fabric to the width +1″ and the height +3″. Sew it into a tube with a 1/2 seam. Pin one edge of the tube to the right side of the brim of the hat – preferably one row in. The goal is to sew it between the first and second stitch of the knitting. Sew together. (Note to self: Make sure all the pins are out before trying it on again.) The fleece will show at this point. If you like that look, move on to the top. If not, you can either machine stitch the fleece to the knitting (aim for the purl bit just below the cable) or blind stitch it by hand. If you machine stitch make sure your thread matches well or it will show.
How you do the top depends on your level of sewing talent, level of patience, and space in the top of your hat. I didn’t leave much room so I needed as little bulk as possible. I took a largish needle and some embroidery floss and hand sewed a running seam around the loose end of the fleece. Then I just gathered it up and tied it off and tacked it to the top of the hat. If you really wanted to make the inside pretty too you could fold it in little triangles and stitch it to make a similar spiral-y pattern on the inside. If you sew – particularly quilt – you know what I mean. If you don’t, probably best not to try. You’ll curse a lot.
*Your mileage may vary.
Questions? Comments? Please leave a comment! 🙂
That is really cute! Thanks for the directions 🙂
That’s adorable! Thanks for sharing.
Good of you to share this great pattern.
I will definitely knit this hat to go with my scarf.
[…] hat. My MIL’s hat that I started in March to be precise. It’s another Irish Hiking Hat in Charcoal Wool-ease Chunky. This one is not lined and I did seed stitch on either side of the […]
I love this pattern, thanks for sharing. However, in row 1 it should be p3, k2, p6, k2, p3.
Thanks for the catch Kaitie! 🙂
Oh I love this hat! I’m going to make one straight away. Thanks!
Thank you for this hat! My husband will adorn it with pride!
Question. I am starting this hat as soon as my yarn gets here! Thanks for a great pattern! But is it size 9 or size 8 needles? The PDF says 9 but the page says 8?
Thanks
Good question Denise = I knit the green one here using 8s and used 9s on the gray one. It doesn’t really matter that much. Just get a fabric that you like based on your yarn and how tightly you knit.
Cool..thanks! I got the same one you did for the one pictured here, then was reviewing the pattern to make sure I understood it – supposedly my yarn is delivered today so I am excited to start! Thanks again! Also, I am going to try and make the cables a different color since I just learned stranding. Will let you know how that pans out LOL Thanks again.
hhmmmm…..I have a friend with a bear, yes a Kodiak, who wants to have the fur from “Big Jimmy” carded and spun into yarn this Spring after he sheds. I think this hat will be the perfect pattern for my friend. I just hope “Big Jimmy” sheds enough hair to make 100+ yards of yarn! Thanks for the pattern.
Great hat! I love to knit something not so ordinary.
Thank you so much for sharing it.
I am in the Malabrigo March also and I saw your avatar with this hat on and it is awesome. I love it! Thanks for sharing!
Can you clarify something? Since I have a lot of bulky weight yarn, I’d like to use what I have. What is the gauge on this hat so I can make a substitution (I looked up “Wool Ease Bulky” but could only find “chunky”)?
Thanks!
Kelly
Thanks for catching that! I changed it in the post above – it should be Wool Ease Chunky. I’ll pull out the hat tonight and check the gauge too.
I have just learnt how to cable – could you please help me by giving more cable directions – ie whether it is front or back cable and how many stitches do you put onto the cable needle – would love to make this for Christmas this year 2008 for my daughter if possible
many thanks!
It is the cable pattern from the Irish Hiking Scarf by Hello Yarn. Her instructions are at http://www.helloyarn.com/irishhikingscarf.htm
Happy Holidays!
Very cool!
[…] Set mostly in France? For the oldest niece, I knit up a hat base on a hat I found on Ravelry: the Irish hiking hat. I followed that for the brim and did my own thing for the rest of it, so I figured I could call of […]
Tout simplement génial et très original. Je l’ai tricoté trés facilement. Merci beaucoup. (de France)
I’m a little confused when starting the round part. I ended up with 144 stitches. You say to divide by 4 which would be 36. So, four groups of 36. If I start by K2Tog I then have only 35 in that first group, then you say to knit 1/4 of my stitches and then k2tog. Does it matter how many I’m knitting before the k2tog? I’m afraid I’m going to end up at the start with an extra stitch or two or three???
[…] a companion hat, I chose one I’ve been wanting to knit for a while: the Irish hiking hat. […]
i just tried to do the worsted weight pattern, but when i picked up the stitches around the rim of the hat like it said to in the instructions, the crazy amount of stitches got stuck on my needles. Now, I either have to cut my work off of my needles, or else cut the circular part of my circular needles.
Are the needles recommended size 8 or 9 American, Canadian or metric? Thanks! I love the hat – gonna make it for my brother’s January birthday.
FYI – even though the instructions say K2tog for the decreases, what is pictured is are decreases using SSK
I’m very much a beginner in knitting. I love this Irish Hiking hat, but I don’t understand what it means to do on row 8 when it says “work fron cable”. Can someone explain this? Thanks.
Nancy
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